SLN harassment of Ponnalai displaced escalates, complains TNA MP

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 April 2006, 03:59 GMT]Harsassment by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers on members of displaced families from Ponnalai west in the western coastal area of Jaffna district has increased and the situation has deteriorated such that villagers are fearful for the safety of young girls, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, S Gajendran filed a complaint with the Jaffna Branch of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Friday, sources in Jaffna said.

SLN has recently forced the residents of Ponnalai West out of their homes and made the village area part of the Jaffna High Security Zone (HSZ), according to civil society sources in Jaffna. The displaced families have found shelter in the temporary accomodation built by the UNHCR.

Due to lack of basic facilities the families continue to cross over into the HSZ area through the SLN check points to draw water from the wells close to their homes. The families had complained to the TNA parliamentarians of the difficulties faced by young women from the UNHCR camp.

"We have registered a complaint as a forewarning to prevent reocurrence of the fate that befell Tharsini in Punguduthivu," said S Gajendran on the deteriorating situation in Ponnalai.

The fishing communities in Ponnalai, Thiruvadinilai in Chulipuram and other areas like Puliyanthurai on the western coast of Jaffna have endured severe military restrictions on their livelihoods for many years, continuing from the time of conflict.